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Everchanger
Identities First Changeling. Never-Sits-Still, Never-Known, The First Fae. Autumn - The Princess of Red and Gold, Dawn Dancer, Flamehair, Lady of the Harvest. Winter -The Silver Queen, Lady of White, Mistress of Twilight. Spring - Newblooded Prince, Lord in Green, First of the Living. Summer - The Risen King, The Firesinger, He Who Roars Loudest. Spheres Of Influence The Seasons, and all that is involved in them, and in particular change. Each of the four sides of the Everchanger have their own spheres. Autumn - Harvest, serenity, festivals. Winter - Snow, cold, death, night. Spring - Life, growth, rivers, forests. Summer - Fire, heat, fertility, passion, strength. Symbol Four figures - one a young, androgynous woman, with closed eyes, serene expression, and autumn leaves amidst her hair. One a more mature woman, fuller figured, clad in elegant robes and wearing a crown of ice and snow. The third is an androgynous young man with a smile on his face and with green leaves amidst his hair. And the last is a powerful male figure with beard and long hair, who bears a crown of antlers. These four images are often integrated into a single image, usually a circle with all four faces upon it, usually with a stylized background depicting the different seasons. Places of Worship Shrines to the Everchanger are found mostly in the wilderness and farmlands. Forest groves can have any variation of shrines, which may be of carven stone or wood, or simply made from stacked stones. Offerings vary in all forms, but are generally something to do with the season in question, be it seeds, burnt offerings, or fresh produce or flowers. There is no formal religion, but the Everchanger is a strong part of the rural consciousness, and this flows through to the midwinter and midsummer festivals, where the Everchanger is praised during celebratory feasting and other enjoyable pursuits. Phrases Change is a part of life.' 'The circle spins onwards. We but dance within it.' 'Sing for the dawn, dance for the evening. ''''And various sayings attributed to each season, which vary wildly from town to town. Lore The Everchanger is the aspect of the seasons, and along with that, the broader aspects of them and all they lead to in regards to such change. Each season represents a side of the Everchanger, the First Changeling. Each of the sides of the Everchanger are conflicting with each other, from appearance to nature, but yet, each of them is worshipped as the same entity in its entirety. The Everchanger is an embracing of the changing ways of nature, and an admittance in the helplessness of civilization in resisting its pull towards whatever state of existence it deems fit. Thessir has a peculiar relationship with elements, and the weather. Wildebourne is one of the few places that experiences a true change and shift of seasons, and as such is fairly unique amongst the other nations. There is some speculation that the shift of seasons is in fact artificial – a memory of a magic wrought centuries ago by the elves, or even older still, by civilizations that history has, for the most part, forgotten, though rumors of its history remain. In any case, the nation of Wildebourne is very much a nation that is beholden to the Everchanger. Much of its history has been dictated to the power of nature – from the peculiarities of the Fog Gates and the ocean surrounding, to the very nature of the land itself, and the harnessing of its magic. It is the belief of many that the fluctuating nature of the weather and the land is a direct influence of the everchanging, and so, particularly in the more rural towns, following of the Everchanger is strong in all things. Each season has a festival day, set at the height of the season itself, to both celebrate the current incarnation of the Everchanger, and to give thanks for their benefits bestowed upon them. For no other deity in the Wildebourne pantheon so clearly bestows a gift and benefit upon the people who live within it. The earth that the Everchanger dances upon is its generous gift to all whom dwell upon it, and as such, people are careful to pay the proper respect to its bounties, lest they pay the penalty. As such, each festival involves sacrifices to whichever incarnation of the Everchanger is, at that time of year, the most paramount. The four sides of the Everchanger are distinct, and yet linked. In her autumn form, the Everchanger is a young female of around eighteen years old. In this form, she is the Dawn Dancer, the Princess of Red and Gold. She is lively yet contemplative, cheerful and beautiful, but often careless and perhaps even a little wasteful. In winter, she becomes a full figured and regal woman, the Silver Queen, the Mistress of Twilight. She is gracious, and steady, beautiful and mysterious, her mood tempered and while benevolent, is not to be trifled with. She can equally bring benefit or death in this form, but at all times is worthy of respect and diligence, for it is known her coming is a thing necessary, and she is merely biding her time and energy, resting somewhat, for the coming of new life. Upon completion of winter she changes form and gender, as the spirit of spring, the Newblooded Prince, takes form. After the rest of winter, he is explosive, and energetic, and embraces the aspect of new life with frantic ferocity, bringing the spring rains and storms, the floods that race down the mountain with the melting snow, and the explosion of green life in all the forests. Dancing from field to field, he blesses each in turn with the vibrancy of new life, having gathered his strength for just such a thing. And as that life grows, so too does he, until the time of summer comes at last, and the Risen King strides upon the land. He brings the heat of fire, of primal sensation, of the strongest, most patient of growth. Crops ripen and flowers bloom, new life is made and comes anew. Long and riotous are his celebrations, until at last, he sinks into the earth with the dying of the sun, and as the first red sunsets come, the powerful masculine form of summer changes back into the feminine one of autumn – and the process is begun again. Though the Everchanger is a powerful entity in the daily life of the Wildebourne people, they are not followed by any formal religion. There is no church, though in some respects, it could be said that the whole world is their church. That each crop and green thing grown, that each life that is made and then ends, all of it is part of the congregation of the Everchanger. And indeed, there are those that pay worship to the Everchanger, in their quiet way. They might be druids, or witches, healers or farmers. Some more decadent individuals pay them worship as well, for the Everchanger is a master of sensation and experience as well, and that fold of the following can attract a certain individual as well. Some rogues of a peculiar ilk ask for the favor of the Everchanger, for it involves them being fluid in who they choose to be from one day to the next – depending on who they are trying to steal from, in any case. For the most part, the nature aspect of the Everchanger is what attracts the majority of its worship. It was originally the aspect of nature, and change, and acceptance combined, before being solidified through a mixture of superstition, folklore and tradition into the form of following it has now. Strictly speaking, the Everchanger has the widest following of the gods of Wildebourne, but the loosest as well. Anyone can and often will call upon them – but it has to be said, few of them will be more devoted – and desperate – than a farmer hoping for a good yearly crop. Category:Wildebourne Vale Category:Church Of Seasons Category:Deities Category:Time (Aspect)